ENGLISH
REFERENCE

uninhabited

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˌənɪnˈhæbətɪd// UK //ˌʌnɪnhˈæbɪtɪd// un·in·hab·it·ed

adj. describing a place where no people live. You use this for islands, buildings, or lands that are empty of human life.

adj. having no permanent human residents or occupants. Often used to describe remote geographical areas or abandoned structures.


SIMPLE

The ship landed on a small, uninhabited island.

CONTEXTUAL

Researchers found that the valley had remained uninhabited for centuries due to its extreme weather and lack of water.

COMPLEX

While the archipelago contains dozens of islands, the vast majority remain uninhabited, serving instead as protected sanctuaries for migratory seabirds and rare marine life.

Antonyms
Origin

From un- + inhabited.

Usage

Typically used as an attributive adjective before a noun or predicatively after a linking verb like 'remain' or 'be'.

Pitfall

the unhabited housethe uninhabited houseLearners often mistakenly use 'unhabited' by following the pattern of 'un-' + 'habited', but the correct form requires the 'in' from 'inhabit'.

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